Zhang Yingying continued, "According to Old Yao, his wife had never been a pushover from the start. Their marriage alliance had essentially been a mutual support arrangement between the Yao Family and the Ma Family. The Ma Family used his freight channels to cut costs, while the Yao Family relied on the Ma Family's connections in the medical field for distribution. Their relationship was relatively equal.
"So during the capital accumulation phase of the sixties and seventies, Old Yao made his way, and his wife accumulated quite a network of connections and resources as well. Later, although the Yao Family worked hard to go legitimate, Madam Ma was reluctant to let go of many of the things operating in the shadows, and kept doing them."
Ronan laughed. "A husband and wife are one entity. How was what she did any different from the Yao Family doing it themselves?"
"That's exactly what I asked Old Yao. But he had quite a lot to say in response. He said those connections and resources had long since been handed over by his wife to the remaining few 'Thousand-Li Horses'—to the Ma Family, not the Yao Family. Old Yao also said that aside from Old Ten, who was still relatively clear-headed, the other members of the Ma Family were all useless. After only a few years in this trade, whether willingly or unwillingly, they had basically all withdrawn. Seeing this, Ma Laotaitai simply used those resources to curry favors, parceling them out one by one and still earning some extra income from them every year..."
"This kind of business could be subcontracted? Could she keep it under control?"
"So it was probably around that time that Ma Laotaitai's connections with Old Elers' side gradually grew closer. Perhaps they had some need for Xia City's